She deserves a proper relationship
by Loz06
Summary: Stand alone. Neil.Andrea.Tiny bit of Smithy. At the hospital and concussed Andrea sees Neil come to visit and shrink away when he sees Smithy at her bedside. She knows she can’t let him leave and have things left unsaid.
1. Chapter 1

**Title**: She deserves a proper relationship

**Author**: Loz

**E-Mail**: loz06(at)yahoo(dot)com

**Rating**: T

**Category**: Neil.Andrea…Tiny bit of Smithy. (He gets told don't worry!)

**Series**: Stand alone. Not related to anything else I've done.

**Spoilers**: If you're not yet up to any of the episodes around the late 260's then come back when you are! Otherwise your safe.

**Archive** (if applicable): www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net(slash)loz06

**Feedback**: The good, the bad and the very ugly it's all appreciated.

**Summary: **At the hospital and concussed Andrea sees Neil come to visit and shrink away when he sees Smithy at her bedside. She knows she can't let him leave and have things left unsaid.

**Authors' notes: **Promise this one is 98 percent Neil.Andrea. Again if some things medically don't add up, I get sick not cure the sick.

**Thanks: **To everyone who read and or reviewed 'Where the heart lies at Christmas'.

**Disclaimers**: I deserve to be allowed to write fan fiction without claiming ownership as I always do.

* * *

Andrea Dunbar's eyes open to see Dale Smith sitting next to her bed. "I came to pick you up, we've got a date remember?" Andrea's eyes close again. "Raincheck." Smithy says. "I just can't believe you're giving me the whole I've been rushed to hospital brush off, it's terrible." Andrea's occasional weak smile keeps him talking, a boyish half smile on his own face.

"Sorry." She says weakly. Andrea's not really following him, she hasn't been able to connect with the conversation that had been one sided from the beginning. She didn't know it but he'd started talking immediately after he'd placed flowers next to her bed and had kissed her forehead even though Andrea was dozing.

Andrea still feels a little vague and dizzy and she can't concentrate on more than two words strung together, her stomach feels so slightly queasy.

"Listen." He says taking Andrea's hands that rest across her middle. "You've got a concussion but you're going to be alright…" At the entrance to the ward Neil Manson pushes through the double swinging doors, Andrea's concentration lapses but she picks Smithy up again. "You're not going to miss anything because I'm going to keep you informed." In the middle of the nurses' area, flowers in hand, Neil Manson stares at Andrea and Smithy who leans towards the bed holding her hands.

Smithy is saying something to Andrea about having got the guy who hit her but she's not really listening. "We've nicked the geezer; he's thoroughly banged up, so there's nothing to worry about there." Her eyes stray to nurses' area where she sees Neil standing and staring at her and Smithy.

Their eyes never meet but they see one another. Andrea's face bears no expression, it can't. She flicks her eyes back to Smithy, the last thing she wants is to alert him to the presence of the man she's been having an affair with and at last count was upset with. His work reasons for visiting her are flimsy at best, thanks to a photographer who so far remains anonymous everyone expects Smithy to be at her bedside, not Neil.

Andrea doesn't regret the kiss with Smithy, nor does she regret the fact Neil saw it. It had spurred him into action that afternoon in the locker room though she still isn't sure about him.

He's staring, a bit in shock, a lot despondent, maybe he thought their passionate kiss righted everything, perhaps because Smithy is here and he won't get to see her, another block, as had been the incident that resulted in her being here, they were meant to meet tonight. Maybe he senses all his talk and actions would have been for nothing that she's moved on. Maybe he suspects she would not have shown up for their meeting and Smithy is not here out of duty or by accident. Even now she doesn't know what she was going to do.

Smithy continues to talk, unperturbed by the fact Andrea doesn't seem to be taking anything in. Something about when Andrea gets out of the hospital is said as Neil looks down to the floor and backs off having seen the closeness of the two, he turns and leaves. When Smithy says something about if she still wants to and Andrea smiles at Smithy and then looks back to Neil in time to see him leaving. He leaves practically unnoticed, as he had arrived. Andrea knows she likes Smithy, what's not to and she has to give that a go, a chance.

Being with Neil has been warm, generous and intimate, sometimes exciting because of his situation but Neil's different from Smithy, he's sown his wild oats, he's mature and knows who he is and what he wants, her and that's attractive but Smithy is more where Andrea is at in her life at the moment and sometimes the one who's still finding out about himself is more exciting than the one who knows. Yet with Neil he seems to need something from her that he gets and shows his gratitude for but all too often their time together is few and far between and that's frustrating for Andrea. Smithy's biggest attraction is his eligibility to be with her and the fact things can be conducted in the open.

Outside the swinging double doors the flowers drop with Neil Manson's hand and rest on a small shelf jutting out of the wall, he sighs and looks back behind him to the ward and then up to the ceiling wondering if things can get any harder and if he has lost her.

* * *

"I'm sorry Smithy, I'm feeling tired." It's not an outright lie that comes gently from Andrea. Smithy immediately cuts off what he was saying.

"I'm sorry, I've been sitting here and rattling on, and you need to sleep." He's apologetic for his actions, unnecessary as Andrea has enjoyed the company but now she needs him to go.

"Its o.k. thanks for visiting." Andreas smiles as he stands out of the visitor's chair and again gently kisses her forehead.

"Feel better soon." He flashes another smile that's hard to resist and leaves. Andrea's eyes follow him with each step through the nurses' area and past the double swinging doors. She can't see out there so she can only hope Neil is not standing outside.

For some reason, Andrea's not sure why, beyond checking she still can, she counts to ten before twisting herself to reach the call button. The exertion invites the dizziness back and she misses the button that swings on the electrical cord three times before her fingertips finally grasp it.

A ridiculous exercise Andrea thinks as she can see the nurse through the glass and could easily call out. Still she presses the call button urgently three times before collapsing back into bed the way she was, waiting for the room to stop moving and her heightened nausea to settle.

The young nurse leaves her desk not hurrying but moving with an efficiency that must be ingrained into all nurses, clearly this is not an emergency.

"You o.k.?" She says as soon as she rounds the glass, going immediately to check the machine that monitors Andrea's vital signs.

"There was a man here a minute ago, he had flowers and was standing just inside the doors, he left when he saw I had another visitor, can you call him and get him to come back for me?" The nurse finishes with the buttons and dials, looking unconvinced at Andrea.

"We don't really do that." She says as politely and as mundanely as possible.

Andrea finds it hard to believe that there's a hospital policy against her request, the young nurse imagining a situation exists for Andrea, one she doesn't want to be in the middle of. She's close to being correct.

"Please." Andrea says with some desperation. "The man visiting me was my colleague, the man with the flowers is my boyfriend, we all work in the same place but my boyfriend and I haven't told anyone about our relationship yet, that's why he left." Andrea spills the re-organisation of the truth, how strange it feels to refer to Neil as her boyfriend although he is in a way.

The nurse wavers but Andrea can see she thinks maybe she's confused from the hit on her head because the age match doesn't seem right and Smithy kissed her on the forehead and held her hand, still concussion works in her favour.

"Do you know his number?" The nurse relents though she seems convinced Andrea won't remember it, thus giving her another reason to refuse. Andrea assumes, as she's the only patient in this part of the ward and she's hardly high dependency, the phone call will break the monotony of what is probably going to be a long and boring night. She gratefully tells the nurse Neil's mobile number.

"His name's Neil, Neil Manson." She says as an after thought.

Through the glass Andrea watches the number being dialled and waits anxiously as nothing happens. Neil could be anywhere, outside with Smithy, on his way back to work or at work, in his car on the way home, Philippa could inadvertently pick up. The sound of the nurses voice barely wafts around the glass partition, from what Andrea can tell she's saying yes and no as if Neil's asking questions. Andrea catches a distinct thank you from the nurse before the phone goes down.

The double doors swing open and Andrea immediately expects it to be Neil, another nurse in different coloured scrubs drops off a folder. It's then that Andrea gets the confirmation nod and smile through the glass that assures her Neil is on his way.

Andrea pushes her head deeper into the pillow, smiling though weakly because it's all she can manage. She closes her eyes resolving to just rest until Neil gets to her bedside, she doesn't remember dozing off.

* * *

To be continued...In part 2 of 4. (I'll try and make it one a day again, can't promise though.) 


	2. Chapter 2

* * *

I was going to post this part when it occurred to me this story is not really befitting of posting over many days, after all everything takes place within a period of twenty four hours or so. So…um…yeah, happy reading. Lauren

* * *

When Andrea next opens her eyes the nurse's area reveals itself to her and it takes a moment for her to realise she'd fallen asleep waiting for Neil, the first thing she thinks is he probably left, unable to wait, the clock reveals the fact she's been asleep for hours. She shifts her head deeper into the pillow finding him sitting watching her in the chair Smithy had occupied. She wishes she could manage a stronger smile to show how happy she is he's here. 

"Hi." Neil says uncertainly, sitting forward from the back of the chair. He looks to Andrea to say something; she had asked him back but for what he's not sure.

Andrea positions her hands on the side of the bed next to herself and attempts to push herself into a vertical sitting position but her arms won't comply and her brain seems unwilling also, trying to stop her with a thick haze.

"Whoa, don't get up, you can't get up you're concussed." Neil springs from the chair and Andrea instantly relishes the contact as Neil reverses the small amount of ground she gained. She remembers his touch on her forearms from their kiss that afternoon; part of her is upset at the limitations her body is placing on her. Still she settles back into the pillows where he'd placed her and watches him pull the chair he was sitting in closer to and further up the bed.

Though she's still upset with him, it's eased as a result of him coming back and being here now, some of her wants physical contact with him for longer than she just got.

"I didn't ask Smithy to come." She looks him straight in the eye and says briefly, knowing he will understand what she's making reference to. The same hope she had that the nurse would make the call, transfers itself into hoping he will believe her. Neil tries to hide the look of relief on his face but something says he knew he might run across Smithy and it's not just about Andrea's Christmas party kiss with him.

"He's just being a good Sergeant, concerned about his relief." Neil states simply, looking down into his lap and then across to Andrea again.

"Does that mean you were just being a good DI when you came by before? Doing your duty?" Andrea asks finding herself better able to concentrate after her sleep.

Neil presses his lips together before answering but if he's contemplating his answer it barely takes any time. "No."

Andrea can't help but smile and that's reassuring for Neil.

"You had flowers before." She remembers looking at the floor around him.

"I took them to the children's ward…on my way out." Neil says carefully, Andrea doesn't know what to say, that's nice, generous, she smiles instead.

"Did you go home after you dropped off the flowers?"

"No." Neil says and sighs. "I was sitting in my car in the hospital car park wondering if I should come back up here when Smithy left and then I got a call from the nurse. I came up and you were asleep so I waited, you've been sleeping for a few hours."

"I'm sorry, I'm glad you decided to come back." Andrea slides her right hand out from under the starch white sheets and blankets, Neil doesn't have to be asked, even before her hand has appeared he reaches quickly for it with his right, holding it awkwardly like a loose handshake until he pulls himself in the chair right up to the bed, perpendicular so his left hand can interlock fingers with her right on the bed, he holds her hand so tight Andrea thinks the circulation might be cut.

For the first time since she woke up he seems relaxed, the small offering of affection from Andrea helping. He smiles with affection and there's concern for her wellbeing in his body language. Before now he just wasn't sure what mood she was in, where they were.

"You needed to sleep so I didn't want to wake you. How do you feel?" Neil asks standing out of his chair, he swaps the hand he has holding hers, his right holds her again awkwardly, his left caresses her forehead tenderly.

"I'm a little nauseous, I get dizzy if I move too fast, my head aches sometimes, I feel tired and I can't concentrate for long." Andrea says as Neil stands by the bed listening intently.

"Do you remember what happened?" Neil asks swapping hands back again and sitting down.

"I was at a club, I can't remember the name, something to do with a husband and wife but I don't remember what happened between there and this bed."

"Did someone who was there tell you what happened?" Neil asks hesitantly.

"Sm…" Andrea begins and then stops herself. "Yes someone did after the doctor came." Neil seems unaffected by the clue as to the person that filled in Andrea's blanks.

"What did the doctor say?"

"He asked me some dumb questions like how old I am, what day it is and who the Prime Minister is. They sent me for a brain scan thing as well." Andrea starts to feel lethargic but she fights it, wanting to remain alert.

"Did they find anything?" Neil asks seriously.

"Nothing."

"Nothing at all?" Neil says sounding surprised.

It takes a minute for Andrea to realise the joke. "Shut up, I'm sick here." She says lightly and Neil smiles with her. "Are we going to talk about us?" Andrea asks turning serious.

Neil's eyes instantly drop to the bed and his smile dissolves away. He sits back into the depth of the chair, maybe he senses this is going to be a long conversation, Andrea could swear he holds her hand a little less tightly.

"Are you sure you want to have this conversation now, you have a concussion, you might say something you don't mean like you want to be with me." Not all of the light heartedness has left him.

Andrea shifts in the bed onto her right side to face Neil, "I do."

"Then Smithy..?" Neil asks like he doesn't want to know the answer.

"He's free, available, I can slap a relationship with him up on the walls and it doesn't matter." Andrea makes her point. Neil's look says he knows of the photos and doesn't approve.

"And you have to share me." Neil finishes her sentence.

"It seems like I'm always second." Andrea says sadly.

"Well you sound pretty definitive." Neil says sliding his hand out of Andrea's, she chases it, grabbing on and interlocking their fingers again. "You know you're the one that I want, you're the one that I think about all the time."

"I need you to show me." Andrea repeats her earlier words only to have Neil look away.

"I lied to the DCI tonight to get myself in on the interview of the bloke who hit you, I made sure he realised what he'd done and that he admitted to it." Neil continues to stare across the room.

"And you're here now." The words bring Neil's attention back to Andrea. She thinks of the reasons why he shouldn't be here and the lies he told to be here.

"Let's not do this now, you're in hospital." Neil's free hand rests over hers that he's holding. Andrea is silent indicating her agreement with Neil.

"You want me to leave Philippa." Neil says still locked in his stare he has been in for several minutes, when he's finished his wife's name he looks to Andrea for a reaction. "You deserve a proper relationship."

"You're right, let's not talk about this now." Andrea says and shifts her look past Neil.

"You can't avoid the hard questions." Neil's eyes continue to rest on her.

"I don't know." Andrea says taking each word slowly, her eyes sweeping back to him.

"I know you don't want me to cancel on you anymore, you want to see more of me for longer, you want us to be more serious but other than those things I don't know what else there is right now that I can do to show you that I want you."

"That's what I want." Andrea says softly almost cutting him off. "Right now."

"Those things I said." Neil confirms, when Andrea nods his face goes beyond a smile, a look of joy sprinkled with relief at her answer. Andrea pulls their joined hands closer to her, encouraging Neil onto his feet, their hands unclasp, and Neil's lips smile as they kiss one another.

When Neil pulls back from the kiss he sits himself on the edge of the bed, his face beaming at her.

"Can you take me home please?" Andrea's request is tired but happy. She smiles though her eyes are closed; she no longer has the strength to keep the shutters up.

"You don't like hospitals very much do you?" Neil says gently from the edge of the bed, his hand stroking her forehead again.

Andrea shakes her head, lulled by Neil's gentle caress across her face. "I just want to be out of here." With each word she sounds more exhausted.

"I'll check with the nurse, keep your eyes closed." Neil's hand disappears and the bed shifts with his lifted weight. Andrea can feel herself further relax; something about things being unresolved with Neil was keeping her tense. As he approaches her bedside again he tries to be stealth but Andrea's section of the ward is so quiet it can't drown out even the sound of his shoes.

"Can we go now?" Andrea asks hopefully, her eyes still closed, her words close to mumbled.

"The doctor wants you to stay overnight at least; it was a bad hit you took." Neil says as the mattress depresses again.

"But I can sign myself out…" Andrea fades.

"And I'll be there to look after you." She's not sure if he means it or that's what he thought she was going to finish with. "Try and get some sleep, time will go faster that way and you'll feel better in the morning." Neil's index finger runs gently down the bridge of her nose and across her cheek. "I'm not going to take any chances with your health." His touch has a hypnotic effect on Andrea and it isn't long before she's asleep.

* * *

To be continued...In part 3 of 4 


	3. Chapter 3

* * *

A different nurse is checking Andrea's progress when she wakes the next morning; she makes a recording on Andrea's chart from the machine that keeps tabs on her pulse and other vital signs.

Andrea knows it's early; the ward is dull yet everyone begins the day with the rising sun in hospitals it seems. The tiny clock pinned to the nurse's blouse is useless to Andrea as it's upside down and she doesn't have the ability to read upside down this early in the morning.

"What time is it?" Andrea yawns noticing the bed next to her is now occupied.

"Five thirty, hon." The nurses says without looking, Andrea tries to work out why she woke, the only noise is muffled from outside her section of the ward and as the nurse moves on to check the new patient her rubber soled shoes barely make a sound.

Andrea rolls onto her back to find Neil still at her bedside and asleep, he's moved his chair to the other side of her bed. His head is against a pillow that rests against the wall, he has a blanket over him but that's where the comfort ends. His legs stretch out across the floor, shoes off, tie on the bedside storage compartment the hospital provides, his jacket with it. The rest of his body looks like its pulled taunt in an attempt to flatten himself as if he were in a bed, all done in a chair with ninety-degree angles.

"Has he been here all night?" Andrea turns onto her right side again as she asks her nurse still attending to the new patient.

"He was asleep in that chair next to the bed when I came on at midnight. You were asleep too, I brought him the pillow for his head and back and the blanket. I suppose that's as comfortable as he could make himself."

"Did he make any calls?" Andrea asks watching the nurse intently.

"Not that I know of and I've been here all night." The nurse says as she scribbles on a chart. Andrea rolls over again letting her neck turn to watch Neil. Even his face looks uncomfortable, perhaps an outward expression of some pain he's in now or will feel later.

"Can I go home this morning?" Andrea asks quickly as the nurse passes by.

"The doctor will want you to eat something first and he might have some quick reflexology tests and questions to ask." The nurse smiles but its small comfort to Andrea who looks through the glass at the clock in the nurses' area, it's just under a half an hour until the hospital food is brought around and it barely passes as food.

She pulls herself from the tangle of bed covers and walks gingerly, for the first time in more than twelve hours, like a new foal. In the bathroom she relieves her full bladder and looks at herself in the mirror, she judges herself as weak and tired but all right. She knows the round lump on the back of her head where she was hit would horrify her if she could see it. It still throbs a little and is responsible for her continual dull headache.

When Andrea steps out of the bathroom she can see Neil is on her bed, on his right side as she was earlier in the night when they were talking.

"I thought I was the patient." Andrea says, their roles reversed, she now stands next to the bed.

"My lower back is killing me and the rest of me is just numb." As Neil mumbles his complaints his eyes don't open.

"Hospital chairs weren't designed to be slept in." Andrea says as she rounds to the other side of the bed. "Or sat in."

She runs her hands up and down Neil's lower back, he murmurs appreciatively but Andrea can't get the pressure she wants. She makes her hands into fists using her knuckles to apply the pressure she wants.

"That feels good." Neil mumbles and Andrea continues until her breakfast arrives, adjusting her ministrations as Neil requests.

As expected the meal tray is wheeled to the end of Andrea's bed right on six. Her food is placed on the tray on wheels that can cross the bed. Neil opens his eyes and starts to move stiffly off the bed to make way for Andrea.

"Don't get off, you've got to help me eat this disgusting stuff or help me hide it." Andrea says climbing back onto the bed. Neil sits up crossing his legs and wincing with his aches and pains.

Andrea sits across from him, her legs also crossed; she pulls the breakfast tray between them. She takes the lid off the food instantly screwing up her nose at the pale toast and watery looking eggs.

"Can't be that bad." Neil picks up the fork and scoops up some egg. Andrea cringes as it goes into his mouth and is quickly met by a screwed up face from Neil. "Oh that's bad." Andrea laughs as he struggles to swallow, he hands the fork back to her.

"I should ask you to put it in the bin outside and buy me some actual food on the way home." Andrea grumbles as she pushes the food around and reluctantly puts some egg on her fork. Neil laughs as she holds her nose to chew.

"You've got to eat it to get home; I could feed you like I used to feed Jake when he wouldn't eat." Neil encourages.

"What 'here comes the aeroplane'?" Andrea smiles putting down the fork.

"Spaceship actually." Neil smiles across at her.

After a half an hour Andrea doesn't have the will to force anymore into her stomach. She pushes the tray aside and Neil goes to splash water on his face and use the toilet. They talk in soft tones for the next hour till the doctor pushes through the swinging doors, in that time the ward has filled. He converses with the nurse who seems to be recounting Andrea's night and morning, he then steps to the end of her bed not greeting either of them, he barely glances at Neil and Andrea tries to remember his name as he scribbles on her chart.

"Once you've signed your discharge papers you can go Ms Dunbar." He closes the chart and manages a smile before telling her she won't be able to go back to work for a while, not even light duties, no contact sports or jarring and jolting activities. The work embargo is the only thing Andrea doesn't like. She pushes herself to sit on the edge of the bed and reaches for the clothes Yvonne had taken from her locker and passed onto Smithy.

"I'm going to get some coffee." Neil stands out of the chair and in front of Andrea's legs that swing off the edge of the bed. "The car park was full when I arrived, I had to park the car about as far away from the hospital as it gets, I'm going to try and move it closer." He'd put his shoes and jacket back on while they'd talked, his tie hangs around his neck.

Andrea hooks her pinkie finger between two buttons of Neil's shirt and he smiles with warmth tipping his head to the side. He teases her for a moment as he leans in to kiss her, leaning in and then pulling back just as Andrea inches closer. Together they laugh as Andrea is indecisive about what side of his nose to go to, she wins engaging him in a passionate kiss that is sprung on him.

"Be right back." He says softly, pausing to look at her for a moment longer before heading to the coffee machine.

When he's gone Andrea pulls the curtain around her bed and changes into her own clothes from the demeaning and uncomfortable hospital gown. When she pulls open the curtain again Smithy is standing talking to the nurse. The clock above him approaches a quarter to eight; he looks fresh and alert, dressed for work. Andrea's first inclination is to call Neil and warn him to stay at the car; she then remembers her phone was taken along with her uniform back to Sun Hill.

She pushes back the curtain knowing she can't hide forever; she has no desire to stay any longer than she has to either.

"There you are." Smithy says pleasantly and as though he's pleased to see her as Andrea pushes back the curtain. "I came to see if you needed anything, a lift home obviously." Andrea's smile is polite but she's wary of the situation. She uses the time in which she signs her discharge paper to wonder how she's going to extract herself from Smithy's concern. It's hardly fair on Neil to have him trail her home and come upstairs once Smithy's tucked her in and gone.

"It's o.k. I'll get a cab; you're on your way to work." Andrea says, quickly turning her head to flash a reassuring smile at Smithy before handing back the pen and forms. Fortunately from this angle she can see the double swinging doors, Smithy has his back to them and that's the way Andrea keeps it.

"I can't let you do that; I can be a little late." He just won't take no as her answer.

"Really Smithy, its o.k." Andrea becomes more insistent.

"It's no hassle." Smithy says and his insistence starts to get to Andrea, because of the time its eating and because he won't back down.

"Smithy." Andrea says seriously and shifts her weight. "I have a lift already."

"Oh." He recoils quickly, clearly curious as to whom it might be.

"Smithy about playing pool, I'm…" Andrea says gently and with four words and his name he knows what she's going to say and the relationship to Andrea of the person who's going to give her a lift home.

"It's o.k. you don't have to explain." Andrea gets the feeling he's trying to make things easy for her or maybe because he's lost he just doesn't want to know details.

"It's just I've been kind of seeing someone else." What a dreadful thing for someone to have to hear Andrea thinks.

"Oh." Smithy says, his smile fallen and shattered, the primitive sound all he can manage.

"He was here last night, he stayed all night actually and that's kind of what I've been wanting from him." Andrea doesn't know why she's telling him.

"So the old commitment." Smithy says conversationally and casually.

"It's hard in his situation." Andrea says compassionately.

"So he's married then." Smithy states more than questions.

"Amongst other things." Andrea acknowledges with a tilt of her head.

"You just be careful then." Smithy says like a protective older brother, he kisses her gently on the cheek and steps back again.

"Thanks Smithy." Andrea smiles genuinely and he leaves.

* * *

To be continued...In part 4 pf 4 


	4. Chapter 4

* * *

Outside in the hospital corridor Dale Smith looks up from his shoes to see DI Neil Manson walking towards him.

"Sir, you're here early." Smithy greets formally though he's really not in the mood to make small talk. "Are you here to see PC Dunbar?"

At that moment Neil realises there's no one else on the floor of interest to CID, he could lie and say a family member is here but those things tend to get around and he might have to dig himself deeper into lies to maintain the original lie.

"I came to check if PC Dunbar was feeling well enough to make a statement." Neil stiffens hoping the sergeant won't see through him.

"Right, well they're discharging her." Smithy says looking back along the corridor.

"Are you giving her a lift home?" It's a natural question to ask; Neil had seen the photos and confronted Smithy over them. None of that matters as the crinkled nature of Neil's clothes have caught Smithy's attention; Neil doesn't get eye contact from him.

"No she has someone else to do that." Smithy says snapping himself out of the fact he was staring.

"Well I'd better see what she has to say for herself so I can get this guy, the DCI's keen to send a message we won't tolerate this sort of thing against our officers, I'll see you at the station."

Smithy nods in farewell and Neil walks slowly, though he's unsure why, until Smithy's out of sight.

"You ready?" Neil asks patting his pocket for his keys; Andrea stands at the nurse's desk. "I saw Smithy on the way back in."

Andrea immediately looks worried wondering if he's going to start pressing her on how she's going to end things between them. That's secondary to the fact Smithy may have some nagging questions about Neil's presence. "I wanted to call and warn you, I had to tell him my boyfriend was here last night and I didn't need him to take me home."

"I told him I was here to take your statement." Neil says offhandedly and Andrea pales.

"I gave my statement after the doctor saw me yesterday, Smithy took it." The further she got into the sentence the greater the panic in her voice.

"What for you couldn't remember anything?" Neil sounds more concerned about the statement than the fact someone may suspect them, maybe he just needs to focus on the small problems first.

"It was a formality, I still don't remember anything and might not ever, it's irrelevant anyway the guy confessed, you did the interview and Tony and Amber were there." Andrea reminds him and for the first time he looks worried.

Andrea steps in and drops her forehead against Neil's chest. "He knows."

"Do you think he'll say anything?" Neil's mouth sounds dry.

"No, I know Smithy he won't, not to anyone else at least." Andrea looks up at him.

"But he'll put two and two together."

"He's not dumb but he's discrete." Andrea stares at Neil's shoulder thinking. "Either way it's not good." She looks up at Neil who also looks concerned. "Thank you for staying the night with me, it meant a lot that you did."

Neil slowly pulls himself from his thoughts. "I wasn't here because I thought it might show you I'm serious about you or because you got to see me for a longer time than usual, not even because you asked me to come back, I was coming anyway, I was concerned about you and I wanted to be here." As he says the words, a smile grows on Andrea's face, she mouths 'thank you' when he's done and puts her arms around him. Neil reciprocates lifting her off the ground an inch and sighing happily into the back of her neck.

"Let's go home." Andrea says over his shoulder.

* * *

La Fine 


End file.
